The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-03-12
RESCUEDIN MID-OCEAN.
Thirty Men Saved from the sinking Tramp
steamer Egypt.
New York World

Thirty Men Saved from the sinking Tramp .
steamer Egypt.
New York World.
The bark Hannah Blanchard. of Wind /
sor. y. s., arrived in this port late last
night, bringing with her the captain and
the crew of Twenty-Five men of the
tramp steamer Egypt. whom she had
rescued from almost certain death about
twelve hundred miles out at sea.
The Egypt left this port February ~.
bound for Lisbon, with So 0G0 bushels of
wheat. Three days out she was over
taken by a heavy gale, which hourly in
creased in violence. While scudding
before it, about SHUTDOWN. the Egypt
shipped a tremendous sea. which broke
her fore-boom crutch and did other dam
age. The shiTs head was Immediately
brought to the wind, speed was slackened,
and she was headed to the northwest.
At S:15 p. m. another sea broke on board
over the bows, staving in the fOre-hatch
and poOp-deck and starting the bulkhead.
The engine was flooded with water and
the fore-deck was completely submerged.
The fore hatch was covered with spare
sails and the ships head was kept to the
| wind. A spare sail was also nailed over
the poop-deck-
| The gale lasted throughout the night
| and at 5:30 the following morning was
blowing hurricane. Then came an
other tremendous wave which burst over
the ship. completely filling her fore deck.
| The sails on the fore hatch were burst in
as if they We're tissue paper. and the wa
! ter poured into the fOrehoid. The fore
trysails were being unbent to put over
the fore hatch, when another wave
struck the deck. washing five men down
| into the hold. The ship then began set
Ting by the head, and the water in
creased rapidly in the engine-room till 1T
8 a. IN. Saturday it had washed out the
fires.
The situation was desperate and the
Egypt was hove to under main staySail
and reefed main trysail. All hands Were
employed baling water and trying To get
the donkey fire under way. In the after
noon the weather moderated and the
ship rolled heavily. Sunday morning the
weather was fine, with the sky overcast
and at daylight the carpenter, with a
gang of sailors, ''scarfed" fOre-and
after and securely battened the fore
hatch. A steamer was sighted late Sun
day afternoon, and the Egypt hoiSte.
flags for assistance, but the strange YES
sci disappeared without responding.
Another attempt was made to start I
fire in the engine-room, but without sue
cess. Then all hands We're set to work {,
, throw the cargo overheard 50 as To lighter
the ship. A fresh gale sprang up at sun
down and continued throughout the Ugh
and the following day. The men contin
ued to jettison the cargo till Wednesday
when at IL A. NJ. there We're fourteen fee
, | of water III the hold.
| Then the boats were prOvisiOned am
everything was made ready to abandon
the ship. The captain wished to- postpon
J their departure until Thursday, but tn
, crew feared the hull would go down dul
ing the night and insisted ON leaving
All hands got into the boats and RENAME
beside the sinking vessel during the night
( At daylight a vessel WAS sighted an
rockets were sent up. 1t was the bar
Hannah Blanchard. and her captain. Nj
Atkins, bore down straightway To 81
y what was the matter. He found tn
Y thirty men who comprise the crew ridin
: in small boats at the vessels side. and b
soon had them safely on board his ow
gallant ship. The Egypt was settlin
y down very rapidly and at noon she disal
' peared beneath the waves. She was
: latitude IS. Oh north. longitude % 10 ives
The captain and crew brought nothin
with them but the clothing which the
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